Roughage tour Corn - week 35
Fast ripening and well-filled corn on the cob
Due to the recent weather conditions, the ripening of the maize has gone very quickly. The maize harvest is therefore approaching earlier than in other years. That has no direct effect on the cobs. They look well filled, according to the dairy farmers who participate in the Boerenbusiness Roughage tour.
As in previous weeks, the maize continues to ripen quickly. This can be seen in the dry matter percentage that is kept weekly for silage maize parcels of the Roughage Tour. Several dairy farmers confirm this picture when checking the plots. The dry matter percentage of the maize increased in this week by 35% on almost all participating plots compared to last week, the data program Agrility shows. Only in Udenhout did the dry matter percentage rise even further to 3%. The plot in Guttecoven was harvested on August 4, so no new percentage for the dry matter.
With timely and fast ripening, several forage harvesters are already in control of the maize fields in the south of the Netherlands. It is now also the turn of the next maize plot of the Roughage Tour. Dairy farmer Sander Vijverberg in Strijen (South Holland) has his entire maize area scheduled to be harvested today (Friday 2 September). Despite the drought, he is positive about the maize: "It is certainly not disappointing, it looks very healthy, I am very satisfied. The cobs are very nice and well filled." The maize harvest is also earlier than normal for him. "Everything is ripe and in view of the weather change they are reporting it is a good time to harvest. I think we are about ten days earlier than in other years."
In Zeewolde (Flevoland) at dairy farmer Roel Assies, the maize harvest is not yet on the schedule. "When checking the field last time, there was still a lot of moisture in the cob, so it will be a while before we start harvesting." Full cobs can also be seen in the field at Joost van Nostrum in Sint-Oedenrode (North Brabant). He has already watered the maize several times and that has worked out well for the cob. There are clear differences between the cobs that have and have not been irrigated. The left flask in the picture is watered and the right flask is not watered.
Jesse Torringa
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